Nataku Taishi
|kanji =【闘神・哪吒太子】 |name = Nataku Taishi |manga debut = Saiyuki Gaiden Vol. 01, Ch. 01 |anime debut = Saiyuki Gensoumaden Ep. 40 Saiyuki Gaiden Ep. 01 |seiyuu = Kōda Kaho (幸田 夏穂) |english = Tony Oller |race = Heretic |gender = Male |age = Unknown (Appears 8-9) |hair = Black (Gensoumaden) Blonde (Saiyuki Gaiden) |eyes = Gold (Gensoumaden) Purple (Saiyuki Gaiden) |occupation = Prior War Prince of Heaven |status = Comatose |relatives = Li Touten - Father |skills = Expert martial artist |weapons = Chinese Broadsword }} Toushin Nataku Taishi War God Prince Nataku (闘神・哪吒太子) is the first war god of Saiyuki. More of a curse than an honor, he was the only member of Heaven's army allowed to actually kill. The only weapon he has been seen using is a large Chinese Broadsword. Personality Nataku has a very individualistic nature. He grew up watching people place the blame for their faults and the bulk of their dirty work on the shoulders of others, but unlike his father he did not have any desire to one day return the favor by raising his rank above theirs. Instead, he promised himself that he would never grow into that kind of person. They disgusted him. While he wanted to change, he didn't. He was unable to do so much as raise his hand against his father's wishes. It was simply impossible for him to trust anyone growing up – those who didn't openly scorn him were only interested in using him, and his father's 'affection' was suspect at best. He viewed Nataku as a very valuable tool. Of course, Nataku knew this, but for his own sake he pretended it was a form of love. Nataku himself was very pragmatic about his childhood. He knew his place, and while he didn't exactly accept it there was little he could do about it. He could not tell anyone he was too hurt to do whatever was asked of him, because his ability to obey orders was the be-all end-all of his existence to them. Killing from that age left its own scars. To most people, Nataku was remote and arrogant. In Heaven, he was unofficially known as a 'Killing Puppet'. Goku, however, was different. He offered friendship for the sake of friendship, and it was no small thing to Nataku to have a friend his age who simply enjoyed his company. Alone, or in Goku's presence, Nataku tends to act his age. He's playful and somewhat bratty due to his impish sense of humor. He once drew nose-hairs on the Jade Emperor while he slept. Nataku is naturally inquisitive about the world around him, and highly perceptive towards other people and their motivations. He's pretty far from innocent despite his age. Though he doesn't seek it out unless offered, he craves affection and companionship. Appearance Nataku appears as a young boy, only a little taller than Goku in heaven. He is small and thin, with a round, boyish face. His chakra is shaped like a long diamond, with the smaller tips cut off, forming a sort of uneven hexagon. He appears in a large, almost baggy, white robe with a gold square/spiral design along the end of the sleeves, and collar. There's a tie around of his waist, that's the same color as the robe, but has a length of fringe along the bottom edge. He wears equally white pants and boots under the robe. In Saiyuki Gensoumaden - Nataku appears with gold eyes and dark hair that waivers between black and a deep purple, depending on the lighting. His chakra was violet. 'In Saiyuki Gaiden OVA '- Here, Nataku appears with blond hair and purple eyes, similar to that of Konzen. His chakra is red. It is unknown why this color change occurred. In Saiyuki Gaiden Despite the responsibilities of his position, and his father's manipulation, Nataku still maintained the spirit of a child outside his father's view, getting into trouble and exploring the heavens and the Lower Worlds for secret places he could visit. He showed at least some of these places only to Shien, one of the few people he knew well enough to trust a little bit. One of his more ambitious pranks even involved drawing nose hairs on the Jade Emperor while he slept. He had just made a clean getaway when he ran into another golden-eyed boy his age – one with a similar sense of humor. Though the other boy didn't know his own name, the two of them became fast friends, and when the servants discovered Nataku, the boy asked if they could play again soon. Nataku couldn't be happier to agree. He'd made a friend, maybe one of his first. According to Kenren, it's unknown if Nataku even has friends, due to his reaction when Goku said that Nataku was his friend. However, he was summoned soon after and sent out to fight the Great Youkai, Gyumaoh. He was successful, but seriously injured in the battle. When he returned to the Heavens, he was able to stand long enough to refuse treatment – until he saw the boy from before. The last thing he remembered was collapsing into his arms. He would wake up again later, bandaged, and with the boy still at his side. While Nataku was certain that nobody would care if anything happened to him, the boy assured him of the opposite: he came just to see Nataku after all. Nataku promised to show him all over the heavens, to the secret places where tall trees and berries grew. He asked the boy to stay with him, and the two of them ended up talking until they fell asleep together on his bed. He attended a festival later that week, where his father told him to pay close attention to the Jade Emperor who was speaking – soon, Li Touten said, he would claim that position. Nataku could care less about the whole event, and only wished it would end sooner. But as he watched, a fight broke out down below. He recognized his friend fighting with some others, but he was unable to act with Li Touten still watching him. Once he healed enough to walk around, he was summoned once again to the Jade Emperor's court where his father received formal praise for Nataku's battle with the demon. His friend was there again, but Nataku's pleasure at seeing the other boy was soon to fade with a simple order. His father rested a hand on his shoulder and said that the boy was the heretical being from the underworld, and that Nataku was to kill him. Heaven didn't need two heretical beings, and Nataku didn't need the competition. Though the boy yelled after him, Nataku walked away saying nothing. Nataku didn't see the boy again before he was summoned once more. This time, he and his company were to subdue people who were "causing a disturbance that would jeopardize heaven's authority". Though Nataku had not fully healed yet, he agreed to go without question. He had no real option anyway. Unexpectedly, one of the men from the fight at the festival stepped forward and offered to go in his place. It was General Kenren, not highly ranked enough to come before the emperor so boldly and incur anything but a beating. He must have known, too. Nataku's father assured the emperor that Nataku was eager to die in battle for the Heavens, and Nataku said it was so. On the way past, he thanked Kenren... and punched him hard enough that he would know there was nothing to worry about. Nataku would survive the battle. Kenren was an idiot and a virtual stranger, but he appreciated the gesture. Though he told Shien of the other boy, and Li Touten's orders to kill him, he didn't see his friend again until he was once more in the Jade Emperor's court to be sent out for another campaign. The boy broke in, asking Nataku if he would really kill him, and before Nataku could respond Li Touten ordered just that. The boy tried to punch his father, and in response Nataku attempted to kill him, only to be blocked by Kenren. He might have killed them as ordered if Tenpou had not tried to attack his father as well. After striking him down, Nataku finally went after the boy again – and stopped with the sword at his throat, unable to kill him. The boy finally told him his name: Goku. He would not kill Goku and could not disobey his father. Seeing no other option, Nataku made his choice. He turned his sword on himself and cut his strings for good. His last words were given to Goku. His last vision is himself showing Goku what is up on a tree, therefore asking him to see it. It shows that he really wanted to show his new friend what he saw, but unfortunately, he won't and will never. Trivia *Nataku is most likely based off the character Prince Natha from the original story of Journey to the West. *In a lot of stories based of 'Journey to the West', the alienation of other people towards Nataku's character is believed to be his own fault. *Nataku's character from the original story of 'Journey to the West' had been a ball of flesh that his 'father' and sliced in two. Reference *Saiyuki-universe wiki *AngelFire *Saiyuki Universe *A Study Guide to Monkey Category:Characters Category:Saiyuki Gaiden